A RUNAWAY truck sideswiped a car and took out the front garden of a Heathmont home this morning. The concrete pumping truck was unoccupied, but with its engine running, when it rolled 300m down Dickasons Rd about 9:30am, causing chaos in the street. >>PICTURES: Truck causes chaos Shocked resident Charles Heathcote said he was at his computer when he heard a “huge roaring sound’’ outside. His wife, Susan, was also at home. “It was screaming away. My worry was that the driver was still in there. All I could see was a smashed windscreen,’’ Mr Heathcote said. “The driver came running down the hill and he got into the cab to try to switch it off because smoke was coming out from underneath.’’ He said the driver was shouting, “The handbrake was on! The handbrake was on!’’ The truck knocked over plants on the nature strip and a large gum tree in the Heathcote’s front yard. Mr Heathcote said a neighbour, who was driving her car up the road, was hit by the truck but escaped injury. “We have lost half the garden. Luckily it didn’t get to the house,’’ Mr Heathcote said. “How do you a value a garden that you have been tending for 30 years? Only yesterday Susan was saying, `I’d hate to lose that azalea just there’.’’ WorkSafe Victoria investigators are on the scene.

Hope it wasn't TWT.

idiot.

Used the hand brake to park.

dummy.

Now thats a bad day should have stay home.

Wow,that could have had some bad results.The last runaway pump I can remember (sw of denver) the driver bailed out of a 2001 and let'r go after losing brakes.Driver had minor injuries and pump cut in pieces for recovery.

Blessings from heaven

i had a 66 ford 1.5 ton truck 16 foot flatbed and i put a set of good set of tires with wheels on on it from a old gmc i was turning out. one day moving it around the top of my driveway i used a chock on the front wheel and promtley while standing there it rolled right over it moving twards the sloped drive. never took my eyes off of it, lucky.

Many, you never 'lose' air brakes. They are out of adjustment, or abso-fricking-lutely worn out. Either way, it is not an 'ACCIDENT'.

And to use the 'hand brake' or 'spike' as we call it is inexcuseable. It happens, but it is not an 'ACCIDENT' either, merely stupidity.

I’d hate to lose that azalea just there’.’’

just think missus,  a 32 schwing is a better talkin point  lol

Many, you never 'lose' air brakes.

I'm sorry,an old school trucker phrase,now to be politically correct.Driver was coming down a hill to fast and the brakes faded,hence,he lost his brakes.Night all

what are you trying to say about my rig ed?

Anyone know were in Vic ??

I'm sorry,an old school trucker phrase, now to be politically correct.

Driver was coming down a hill to fast and the brakes faded,hence,he lost his brakes. Night all.

Many: Driver too lazy to check his brakes EVER, especially at the top of a steep hill, where the 'Check Brakes' sign is.  They were maybe at minimum spec, he overheated his brakes coming down the hill.

Darwin's theory in action - stupid people die and sometimes kill others in the process. Good Morning.

They said the driver had stoped, put the handbrake on and got out of the truck. Than the truck started running..... Now that's almost impossible i think. He must have done something wrong???

Dammit Many, haven't you learned anything from driving a truck for fifty years?  Smile!  If you said what the weather was in your hometown yesterday, some jackass would want to argue with you.

Hi Stick

I have to admit,I don't know a thing about Canadian roads or law.The gentleman may have some valid points.I was talking in a time where things were done differently,sad but true.The simple fact is any unit can come off a hill with new brakes and smok'm.We have come a long way in respect to safety,yes,it was driver error.This same company had a pump take out a choo-choo train,same senerio.

Steady pressure on the brakes while you're going down hill, don't pump the brakes, that just uses up air and you are applying too much force, then too little. When decending a hill, you should be well geared down and slowed down. Use the engine brake if you have one, towards the bottom, if it's safe, be shifting up. If it is a long, steep grade, then it is wise and prudent to stop and check your brakes, both for proper setting and for the angle of the pushrod to the slack adjuster, if it is at or past 90 degrees, then you actually loose braking force with harder brake application. I prefer it to be a couple degrees less than perpendicular, that way there is still some allowance for the expansion of the drum as it heats up.

The owner of this machine had only just bought it and gone out on his own after many years operating on wages. Top bloke and hope he gets back on the road soon.

THE DRIVER WAS NOT IN THE TRUCK. HE WAS RUNNING AFTER IT

Many and I were having our own 'discussion' about 'losing' brakes. My opinion - doesn't happen, and any driver that 'loses' his brakes is a poor driver or has a poor mechanic, or works for a company with poor maintenence. PERIOD!!

Now, this particular incident with the runaway pump - he use the handbrake (or spike as I call it) to park, and presumably the vibration of the running engine caused it to release - gravity did the rest. That is just a brain fart. He knows better, and now he knows why.

O... Sorry. I didn't get that....

 Many i remember the choo choo,the operator tought me how too pump

Oh,so long ago.Do you remember that 2001 that went boom down 285 towards Baily?